


Walking On the Sun

by lil_1337



Series: Five sentence fics [22]
Category: Gundam Wing
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-04-24
Updated: 2008-04-24
Packaged: 2017-11-06 23:20:10
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/424347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lil_1337/pseuds/lil_1337
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Preventers investigate the murder of Senator Berkfield.  The sequel to <a href="http://sharona1x2.com/rapture/contest5/maxwellssilverhammer.html">'Maxwell's Silver Hammer</a>' and '<a href="http://community.livejournal.com/gw500/309226.html#cutid1">A Dangerous Mind</a>' with references to '<a href="http://lil-1337.livejournal.com/54563.html#cutid1">Checkmate</a>' and '<a href="http://lil-1337.livejournal.com/74221.html#cutid1">The Prank</a>'.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Ah, gentlemen. Come in." Lady Une looked up from the stack of paperwork and gestured to the chairs in front of her desk. "Please, have a seat."

Duo and Trowa exchanged a glance before sitting gingerly on the plush seats. It wasn't that Lady Une was normally rude, but more the gleam in her eyes that suggested she was about to make them pay for their little April Fool's Day joke. It was too much to hope she'd decided to forgive and forget. She's said there would be consequences and it had just been a matter of time. Suspension or a reprimand would have been too easy and she enjoyed a challenge, especially when it came to matching wits with her more difficult agents.

"I have an assignment that I believe is perfect for you two."

Again the two men exchanged a glance before Duo put on his most charming smile. "We're all yours, Lady."

"I'm very glad to hear that." She opened a folder from one of the many stacks on her desk and glanced over the single sheet inside. "As I'm sure you're already aware the symposium on the clean air bill is going to be held here next week. This is a much needed step towards cleaning up pollution and restoring some of the damage done by the war. What happens here could make or break our chances of success."

Duo nodded slowly and Trowa quirked an eyebrow, waiting for Lady Une to finish before commenting.

"I believe you are both familiar with the esteemed representative from L3, Senator Berkfield?"

Trowa's mind went back to chess game with Relena a few months prior. The senator had been the subject of conversation and the primary focus of Relena's frustrations. He was an extremely vocal opponent of the bill in question, denying all charges that he was taking pay offs from mining interests, and the refits that would be required were behind his disagreement. Unfortunately the man had some important backers and brave new world or not money and power still pulled strings, keeping the man in his position.

"Yeah, we've heard of him." Duo frowned, his eyes narrowing. "The guy's a loud mouthed blow hard who's all about lining his own pockets. What about him?"

"He's one of the keynote speakers for the symposium. I received a phone call from his personal assistant earlier today requesting that extra security be arranged. It seems that he has made himself an enemy because he's been getting death threats. The most recent one claimed that if the senator went forward with his speech at the symposium he would be executed for the benefit of mankind."

"This would be bad why?" Despite the 'oops' look on his face; Duo stood his ground, unapologetic about his opinion of the senator and his politics.

Lady Une leaned forward, a hint of wartime steel in her voice. "Because I would be forced to consider disciplinary action against the /two agents/ assigned to protect him." She settled back in her chair, removed the sheet of paper she had been reading earlier from the folder and handed it to Trowa. "This is the senator's agenda. You will meet him at the shuttle port and stay with him until he is settled in his room at the hotel. Each morning you will pick him up from the hotel and transport him to the ESUN building where one or both of you will be by his side until he is safely back in his hotel room. The hotel has arranged its own security for when the senator is in residence so you will not be required to sleep there." She smiled, all ice and malevolence. "Unless of course the situation changes and Preventers, meaning me, deems that he is in imminent danger or that the security provided by the hotel is inadequate.

Trowa took the agenda and looked it over quickly before handing it to Duo who barely glanced at it before handing it back.

"If there's no questions I have things to do. " Lady Une gestured to the stacks of folders on her desk. Trowa and Duo, stood up, moving towards the door before she called after them. "Thank you for the birthday gift. It was…interesting. Your concern for my need to relax is touching and commendable."

Both men grinned; Trowa's looking more like a smirk while Duo's had an edge that could only be described as the cat that ate the canary. "See, Tro, I told you she'd like it." He punched Trowa lightly on the shoulder as he reached for the doorknob. "And you thought she'd be offended."

Trowa shrugged, a languid movement that rippled through his shoulder muscles. "I'm not convinced it was the right gift to show the respect we have for our esteemed leader."

Commander Une snorted in a distinctly unladylike way. "Respect? From you two? I'm not sure my heart could stand the shock should that ever happen." She shook her head waving them off, but calling after them. "By the way, gentlemen I hope you didn't pay too much. Despite what she advertised, the lady was not a natural redhead."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Duo was pissed. It had been almost two hours since he and Trowa had arrived at the hotel with the intention of picking up the senator, but instead of finding him ready and waiting as they had been led to expect, he was still in his robe, lounging over breakfast. After a pointed remark about Preventers actually showing up on time for once he proceeded to shower, primp and generally waste time for the next ninety minutes. By which time Duo was feeling more inclined to put a bullet in the man than take one in his defense. He was not fond of the senator or his dirty dealings and this little stunt had done nothing to change that.

Glancing over at Trowa, Duo could see the slight tightening of his partner's lips that hinted at the emotions hidden below the seemingly calm exterior. Trowa was just as unhappy about this as he was. Well that was good to know; maybe if both of them complained to Lady Une she would do something to light a fire under this guy's ass. Security duty was one thing; wasting their time waiting around doing nothing was something else. Fortunately they only had to baby-sit him during the symposium and transport. The little time he had spent in the man's company was enough to make Duo sympathetic towards the private security agents who had the job the rest of the time. There was not enough money in the world to make that assignment worthwhile.

After slowly perusing the morning edition of the newspaper Senator Berkfield stood and picked up his briefcase. Another few long minutes in front of the mirror adjusting his tie, and two hours and twenty six minutes after their scheduled departure time, Duo and Trowa escorted the senator through the hallways of the hotel before ushering him out to the official car they had waiting. Trowa took the wheel of the stretched limousine, leaving Duo to ride in the back. Cursing Trowa with everything from boils to Quatre developing a sudden case of incurable impotency Duo slid into the backseat pointedly ignoring the way he was being pointedly ignored.

The ride to the symposium was uneventful and Duo allowed his mind to wander, focusing on the sights out of his window instead of the man sitting across from him. While Trowa parked the car he escorted the senator inside and got him settled in one of the conference rooms that had been reserved for his use. When Trowa finally arrived ten minutes later Duo took advantage of having a second officer on site and excused himself to take a bathroom break. Washing his hands, Duo sighed. It was going to be a long fucking assignment.

Another few dull hours passed while the senator schmoozed and blustered. By the time they led the man to the green room for the speakers Duo had found that if he pictured The senator being torn limb from limb by rabid wolves he could almost smile pleasantly. It took all of Duo's self control not to deck Berkfield every time he said something insulting or dismissive about Relena or Quatre. Even Trowa who was a master at hiding his feelings was beginning to show signs of tension in his stance.

WEI's latest announcement that they was adjusting the requirement to apply for lower income assistance along with the intention of absorbing the cost for research and development of clearer fuel sources had not pleased Berkfield or his cronies one little bit. Not that Duo cared. He and Quatre had discussed at length the things that needed to be done to encourage consumers to opt for companies that were willingly complying with clean energy alternatives. What they both kept coming back to was the difference in cost. Trowa had summed up the issue succinctly with the statement that it was easy to be proactive when you didn't have to worry about feeding yourself or your children. From there it had been a matter of simple mathematics to determine what exactly was a reasonable living wage and adjust the scale accordingly.

The rest of the day spiraled downhill from its less than auspicious start. Senator Berkfield's speech was full of propaganda and thinly veiled insults both personal and professional about Quatre, Relena, and their supporters. The highlight was that from his position behind the senator, Duo had a clear view of the audience and was pleased to see not only the low attendance rate but a regular stream of people leaving the auditorium as other speeches or roundtable discussions started.

Strategy meetings followed the speech and Duo could tell that Trowa was carefully taking mental notes of what information he wanted to pass on to Quatre. Part of him had begun to wonder if that was why they had been chosen for this particular assignment. Beyond Commander Une's need to remind them that she was in charge of course. It wouldn't be that unusual for her to have an agenda within an agenda and she certainly had not hidden her opinions on the clean air bill even if she was diplomatic about it. Whatever her reasons it was clear Berkfield had no idea as to the identity of his bodyguards. Snobbery did have its advantages after all. It was just a matter of knowing how to exploit them.

It was well past closing time for the symposium when Duo and Trowa finally escorted the senator to his room. After a curt reminder to be on time in the morning the door to the suite was closed in their faces without so much as a 'thank you' or 'have a nice evening'.

"Asshole." Duo muttered under his breath, flipping off the door before following Trowa down the hallway.

Trowa snorted, speeding up his pace down the ornately decorated corridor. "Three more days. I've lived on ration bars, worn the same clothes until they were nothing but rags, and slept in places saner men would never dare to, I can make it through three more days."

Duo laughed and patted his friend's back. "Just think of all the trouble Q and Relena can cause with the info you have to share."

The glint of pure malice in Trowa's eye matched the ice in his voice. "I am."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Relena lowered herself down onto a chair and breathed a sigh of relief as the weight shifted off of her aching feet. Behind her the door opened then closed, turning her head enough to see over her shoulder she smiled. "Quatre, you're just in time."

"Oh?" Quatre circled Relena's chair and pulled his own over to sit facing her. "In time for what?"

"My feet could use a good massage." Relena coughed and looked pointedly down even though she was unable to see past the bulk of her swollen abdomen.

Quatre chuckled and shook his head. "And why I am elected for this honor? Shouldn't Wufei be the one waiting on you?" He reached down, slipping her right foot out of the low-heeled shoe even as he spoke.

"He's making tea." Relena sighed blissfully and let her head fall back. "Besides, according to our good friend Senator Berkfield you're responsible for my delicate condition. It's the least you do considering the circumstances I find myself in."

"Apparently the good senator has yet to fully understand that the /immoral lifestyle/ I lead eliminates me as a suspect." Quatre's tone was dry but the twinkle in his eyes said he had managed to find the humor in the contradictory nature of the accusations leveled at him. Politics and big business were both known for being full of people who had no compunction with playing dirty. He no longer took comments personally and rarely bothered to respond, letting WEI stand or fall on its own merit not the private life of its CEO.

Relena kicked off her other shoe and moved her foot into Quatre's lap, subtly hinting it was time to redirect his focus. Smiling he switched his attentions, working on it in the same manner as the first. "I don't know. Maybe you seduced poor innocent Trowa the same way you did me. Only he didn't have anyone to save him from your tender mercies. Fortunately Wufei was my knight in shining armor and whisked me away though you still control my poor befuddled female mind."

"Trowa? Innocent?" Quatre snorted. "You must be confused. Tall, funny hair and prone to wearing jeans so tight they look like he's sewn into them?" Quatre's eyes glazed over for a moment and the movements of his fingers slowed. Shaking his head, he grinned ruefully, attention shifting back to the matter at hand.

Wiggling her toes, Relena smirked, enjoying the friendly banter after a day filled with pointed questions and political mud slinging. "That's the one. Poor innocent soul that he is. Or was." She paused, pretending to consider. "Though I do have to admit, I don't know him as well as you do. We both know the appearance of innocence is not always accurate."

Laughing, Quatre gave each foot one last rub before lowering them back down onto the floor. "I would certainly hope not. If you did Wufei and I would have to have a talk with Mr. Barton about his unseemly behavior."

Quatre stood, moving around Relena to stand behind her. Practiced hands worked at the knotted muscles on of her neck and back. Relena let her head fall slightly forward, making a noise that sounded like cross between a purr and a pre-orgasmic moan. "It's no wonder Trowa let you take advantage of his innocence. You have very talented hands for an ex-terrorist. Almost as good as Wufei."

"Even terrorists need hobbies besides looting, pillaging, and seduction. Something restful to do at the end of a long day." Quatre's tone was light even though the words carried heaviness with them. His thumbs found a particularly tense spot at the base of Relena's neck and he worked it, feeling the knot give under his careful ministrations.

"I've heard water polo is fun, though..."

"…It's tough on the horses." Quatre supplied before Relena had a chance. "That joke was old /before/ Duo started telling it." Sighing, he squeezed her shoulders one last time before stepping back. "I have a question and answer session in fifteen minutes so I really need to go. Take care of yourself. Remember, Cathy is coming the day after tomorrow. You and Wufei should join us for dinner that night if you're feeling up to it. I know she is looking forward to seeing you. She's been talking about it since she decided to come visit."

"Can we bring anything?" Relena rolled her shoulders looking much more relaxed than she had.

"Dessert, or a bottle of wine if you'd prefer. Something light to drink before dinner."

"Dessert it is. I'm not allowed wine until I'm one person again." Relena smiled, watching Quatre slip out of the room, then closed her eyes, the tiredness coming back in a rush. Maybe a short power nap was in order while she waited for her tea.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Trowa drained his glass, downing it one go, before slamming the glass on the table. Eyebrow raised, Duo watched, sipping his slowly. "Bastard!" Trowa's voice was a low growl. With an abrupt wave of his hand he gestured for the waitress to bring him another. Duo nodded. After four days of enduring Senator Berkfield's condescending attitude and nasty comments about Relena and Quatre, Trowa was entitled to swill a couple of beers if he wanted. Duo was even willing to pay for them.

Each day had been exponentially worse. As the senator had grown more displeased with his lack of progress he'd become more graphic in his derision towards his opponents, adding their families, social behaviors and sexual proclivities to his list of insults. Trowa had shown restraint, never allowing his mask of professional disinterest to crack. Now, with the assignment over, and the senator safely in the hands of his private security company, all bets were off.

When Trowa had suggested they stop for a quick drink on the way home Duo was not going to argue. The idea of a cold beer sounded like just the thing to wash the residual bad taste out of his mouth. Berkfield was the kind of slime they had fought to protect the colonies from. A man who took great delight in exploiting natural resources, including people, for his own benefit. When it came down to it the nicest thing Duo could say about the man was he dressed well though not even close to the caliber that Quatre or Relena did.

Thanking the waitress with a slight nod of his head, Trowa accepted his second glass, sipping this one instead of chugging it. Duo leaned back in his chair, studying his friend. "Feeling better now?"

"No." Trowa took another drink and set the glass carefully on the table. "But I will when Senator Berkfield is thrown out of the senate and is indicted for unethical business practices."

Duo nodded thoughtfully. "I'd like to be in on that arrest."

"So would I, but you know Une is going to put someone else on it. We're witnesses. That means we can't be part of the investigation. It would create a conflict of interest situation that his lawyers would use to get him off the hook."

"Yeah." Duo took another drink then grinned. "But there is nothing to stop her from handing the whole thing over to Heero or Zechs." His grin widened, taking on an edge. "Zechs would like a piece of him considering all the things the guy has said about Relena. I thought he was going to put his fist through the TV the other day when Berkfield implied that Quatre was the father of her baby. Good thing Lu was there to calm him down or it would have gotten ugly."

Trowa snorted, amusement breaking through the anger. "He doesn't see how that contradicts all his objections that Quatre is immoral because he is openly gay. The man is an idiot."

"A bloody wanker." Duo exaggerated British accent made Trowa shake his head, but the smile on his face brightened a bit.

"Waste of oxygen."

Duo grinned. To someone from the colonies or who had spent a lot of time in space where air was a precious commodity that was the penultimate insult. Raising his glass he tapped it lightly against Trowa's. "Amen, Tro."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Quatre's hand bounced off the alarm clock, swearing when the ringing refused to stop despite his efforts. It took a moment more before the noise finally worked its way into his sleep dazed brain and he woke up enough to realize the sound was not coming from the bedside table, but somewhere on the far side of the room. Getting out of bed he carefully worked his way over to where the source of the sound appeared to be. When his foot hit denim he bent down and picked up a pair of jeans. Freed from the weight muffling it the sound of Trowa's cell phone echoed loudly in the other wise quiet room.

Snapping the phone open he growled into it. "It's the middle of the fucking night. Someone better be dead or someone will be."

"Good fucking morning to you too, Q. It's always a pleasure to hear the gentle strains of your voice. Tro around or did you leave him chained to the wall in the basement? Une just called and woke my ass up because we're needed at the hotel. Apparently our favorite Senator has a problem and won't tell anyone but us."

Quatre swore again, his fingers tightening around the small piece of plastic in his hand. "The symposium is over. I thought you and Trowa were finished being the good senator's whipping boys." Taking a deep breath he counted to ten, forcing himself to calm down. There was no point in venting the anger he felt towards Trowa and Duo's treatment on Duo. It was no more his fault than it had been Trowa's. "I suppose it would be a waste of breath to ask if this could possibly wait until the morning?"

Duo snorted, but his tone was softer, more resigned. "Would I be calling if it could?"

"No." Quatre sighed and after telling Duo to hang on, moved back to the other side of the room. Crawling back onto the bed he kissed Trowa before shaking his shoulder slightly, noting way he was curled up, his body in a defensive position even in sleep. "Tro, love. Duo's on the phone. He needs to talk to you."

Trowa muttered something that Quatre thought was probably an observation about Duo's parentage or lack there of before sitting up and reaching for the phone. The conversation was short and terse, consisting of three sentences. Slamming the phone shut Trowa fell back onto the pillow with a groan. "Remind me to thank Commander Une for this assignment the next time I see her. She's more than paid us back for the things we've done to her. All of the things we've done."

"You have to go?" Quatre stroked the hair back out of Trowa's eyes and studied what little he could see of his lover's face from the sliver of moonlight coming through the open curtains. His voice was soft and wistful but held no real hope. They both knew that calls in the middle of the night were bad omens especially in Trowa's line of work.

"Duo should be here in about forty five minutes to pick me up. He's bringing coffee. On Preventers tab."

Quatre sighed, resting his head on Trowa's shoulder. "I was thinking about clearing my calendar one day next week and taking some time to relax, probably towards the end of the week so we can make a long weekend of it. What do you think about taking a day or two off and spending it on the beach? Cathy mentioned she would like to do that while she's here. Too much time in space has left her 'pasty white' or so I'm told." His fingers ghosted down Trowa's chest to rest lightly on his stomach. "If the beach is too crowded we could always foist your sister off on Relena and stay in. I'm sure we can find some way to keep ourselves entertained."

"Mmm" Trowa entwined his fingers with Quatre's and squeezed lightly. "I'd like that. Let me know what day and I'll talk to Une. She's already said taking time off while Cathy was here wouldn't be a problem. I'm supposed to bring her by headquarters to see everyone and I'm sure Lu and Hilde are planning something too."

"Any idea what?"

"No. There are some things I just don't want to know. It's how I keep what little sanity I still have."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Duo knocked on the door to Senator Berkfield's suite, his scowl darkening as the seconds ticked by without a response. At the two minute mark he knocked again, this time with more force. The third knock finally brought movement and after being left standing in the hallway for almost ten minutes the door finally opened. The senator's chief aide, Angel Johnston, was obviously displeased at being woken up, but Duo had very little sympathy after being dragged from his warm bed and even warmer Heero not much earlier.

"Can I help you /gentlemen/?"

"We're here to see The senator." Duo matched her slightly disdainful tone not even attempting to be pleasant.

"It's the middle of the night. Senator Berkfield gave me strict instructions he was not to be disturbed until six am. If you call the office after nine I'll see if I can work you in one day next week."

"Look, lady," Duo slid his foot forward to block the door when Angel tried to close it in his face. "I'm not here to make a donation or discuss the senator's reelection campaign. Berkfield called my boss and said he needed to talk to us immediately so we had to haul our asses out of bed and come down here. I'm not in the mood to play with you or him. Either you move or I'll move you."

"I certainly will /not/." The woman pulled herself up to her full five feet and glared at Duo, refusing to give ground. Sighing, Trowa stepped forward and pushed on the door causing her to step back and allow both of them to slip inside. "You can't just push your way in here. I'll call the police and have you arrested for trespassing."

Trowa and Duo exchanged a look and Trowa pulled his cell phone from his pocket. With a lazy flick of his wrist he tossed it to Angel. "Number three on the speed dial is Commander Une, the head of Preventers. Feel free to wake her, /again/; I'm sure she would love to hear all about it." He nodded at Duo who crossed the main area and knocked on the door of the master bedroom. When there was no answer he knocked again and waited a second time. After several minutes passed he turned the knob and stepped into the darkened room, feeling along the wall until his hand hit on the light switch. Wan yellow light revealed The senator was not in his bed nor was there a glow from under the closed bathroom door. Trowa swore softly under his breath before turning off the light and backing slowly out of the room. "Where else would he be?"

Frowning, Angel shook her head. "Nowhere. There isn't an office in these rooms. He said he was going to bed. We were both tired…" She trailed off, sitting heavily on the closest piece of furniture, which just happened to be a wing back chair.

"When did you see him last?"

Angel ran her hand through her hair, frowning. "Eleven o'clock maybe? He went to bed early and I stayed up for another hour or putting some things together for a meeting tomorrow morning."

"Did you see or hear anything after you went to bed?"

"No. Nothing." Angel shook her head.

"Where's your security? There is supposed to be two men on guard at all times."

"Outside where they belong I would assume." She crinkled her nose and waved dismissively in the direction of the door. "Senator Berkfield didn't like having them in the suite with us. He said it made him feel like he was being spied on. He is a very private man."

"There wasn't anyone out there." Duo and Trowa exchanged a glance that spoke volumes.

Frowning, Angel crossed the room, pulled open the door and stepped out into the hallway. Annoyance and concern mingled on her face as the reality of the situation began to sink in. "They were there when I went to bed. I checked up to be sure. Security is my responsibility so I always check."

"I'll go have the desk clerk wake up head of security so we can search the building. You call Une and let her know The senator is missing." Trowa was already in motion as the words flowed from his lips. "We are going to need records from the phones in here and the senator's cell. His calendar and any personal journal he might have kept. We assume foul play, not a missing person, until we have evidence that the senator left of his own free will and is in no danger."

Angel opened her mouth to protest the invasion of her employer's privacy then shut it with a click when Trowa slammed the door behind him without bothering to wait for her response, assuming his instructions would be complied with.


	2. Chapter 2

"Fuck." 

Duo's subdued curse summed up the general feeling of everyone in the room. It had been a long four hours, canvassing the neighborhood, talking to local police agencies and searching the senator's known haunts. In the end the senator's body had been found a member of the janitorial crew that had the unlucky job of cleaning up the ESUN building after the symposium. 

"I checked to see if he was breathing and that was it." Despite the way his eyes flicked from face to face the agent's voice was strong and clear. It was only his second day on the job and he'd been unfortunate enough to be first to arrive on the scene and thereby earning the unwanted responsibility of making sure it was secure. "The guy who found him said he opened the door and looked in. He never went inside." 

Zechs nodded, his eyes not leaving the scene in front of him. "Agent Maxwell will get your statements." 

The Senator was seated at a writing desk. In death he had slumped forward so his head was resting on the stacked paper blotter that covered the wooden surface. Behind him and to the right was a bright yellow handprint on the wall. It was clear enough to be recognizable but too blotchy and smeared to retrieve print evidence from. Something tugged at the back of Zechs' mind. He'd seen this somewhere before, but he couldn't quite pull up the context. Making a mental note to do a search of the Preventer's database when he got back to the office he moved around the side of the desk to study the scene from the viewpoint of the victim. Written in large block letters next to the dead man's hand was a message written on plain unlined paper that read 'DEATH TO QUEEN RELENA AND THE ESUN TYRANTS!' The words were evenly spaced and symmetrical, written by someone who had either studied engineering or had an obsessive streak. 

Slowly letting out his breath, Zechs forced himself to relax and take a step back. What he needed to do now was remove himself emotionally from the scene and threat. Reacting to it would only make him sloppy and increase the potential for missing important details. It wasn't the first death threat Relena had received nor would it be the last. One of the prices that she paid for being high profile and not hesitating to speak her mind no matter how unpopular her opinions might be. Fortunately her security was designed by Heero and overseen by Wufei. With those two in charge Relena was a safe as anyone in her position could be. 

A hand rested lightly on Zechs' shoulder and he turned, eyebrow raised in question. Trowa gestured to the cell phone pressed to his ear and then to the message, nodding at what was being said to him. Letting his guard down long enough for Trowa to see his relief and gratitude, Zechs gave a slight bow with his head before returning back to studying the position of the body and how it related to the rest of the clues. The writing was upside down so whoever had shot the man hadn't changed positions to complete the job. The handprint however was the anomaly. Either there was a second person involved or the shooter had written his message then put the print on the wall. There was always the possibility was the two were not related, but experience told Zechs that was not the case here.

Zechs noticed that Trowa had moved off to the side of the room having finished his call and was dialing a second number on his phone. This one was much shorter and judging from the way Trowa's expression softened for just a split second before disconnecting, Zech had a good idea of was on the other end of the line. There was only one person capable of getting that kind of response from the usually reserved agent. 

Pulling out his notebook, Zechs flipped it open and began to describe what was in front of him, making sure to clarify body position in relation to the rest of the key elements in the room. When he was finished he added a sketch to his notes, marking each area and then referring back to the written description with a corresponding number. A few additional notes were added in at the end before Zechs closed the notebook and slipped it and the pen back into his pocket. He took one final look around, committing the details to memory before stepping back to allow the crime scene team more room to work. They would take everything apart, bag, tag and photograph it until there was nothing left to show that a crime had been committed. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Agreed." 

Heero pressed the end button on his cell phone then immediately pressed five on his speed dial. It rang once before a gruff voice sounded on the other end. "Chang here." 

"Yuy. Senator Berkfield has been murdered and a death threat to Relena was found at the crime scene."

There was a moment of silence and Heero could picture Wufei sitting up in bed, preparing to act if the situation demanded it. "Viability of it being acted upon?" 

"High at this juncture, because of the conditions under which it was found. It should be considered a red alert until we have additional information." 

"Have you discussed this with Commander Une? We are already on heightened security because of the Clean Air Symposium. It would be a simple matter of continuing with the current staffing and precautions instead of standing down after the press conference tomorrow as planned." 

"I'll be speaking with her next. I felt it was prudent to contact you first so you could take appropriate steps." There was a pause and Heero allowed himself to relax a little knowing that Wufei would not let any harm come to Relena, especially not now that they were expecting their first child in a few weeks. "How is Relena feeling? Duo said she appeared tired when he saw her earlier today."

"She is, tired and restless. Complaining about her back hurting and her feet swelling while refusing to accept any reductions in workload." 

Heero frowned. "Is there reason to be concerned?" 

A soft chuckle echoed through the phone, putting Heero more at ease. "Sally said she was healthy as a horse at our last visit. Apparently those are all normal symptoms of this stage of pregnancy. Hormones coupled with a nesting instinct that manifests in a variety of ways. They are to be endured and it is my responsibility to make Relena as comfortable as possible until the baby comes as this is my fault and I have the easy job."

Adding his own laugh to Wufei's, Heero felt himself relax more. Wufei would not take risks with his wife and child's safety. Even if Commander Une opted to return to normal security levels, something Heero doubted would occur in light of the situation, Wufei was now on the alert. It would take a better man than whoever had killed Senator Berkfield to get past a Gundam pilot protecting not one, but two, of his own. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
Zechs settled himself in his chair sipping his coffee as he logged into the computer system and then the network before bringing up the Preventers database. He typed in yellow hand and hit search, leaning back to savor the dark roast he had bought on the way back to the office. His first search came up empty and he frowned, considering other ways to approach it. Keeping in mind that Heero had designed the search engine he went for literal and specific, changing the keywords phrase to painted yellow handprint. Adding signature as an additional search criteria he hit return on the keyboard and sat back to watch. 

The second time took longer but when it was finished there was just one listing on his screen, a small environmentally conscious group called Sequoia who claimed responsibility for the destruction of several smelters in various locations around the world. After skimming the profile, Zechs clicked the link for more detailed information including agent notes and waited for it to load. The report included observations from a stake out and short-term infiltration along with data obtained by hacking the group's computers. 

They were listed as low risk and the agent in charge stated he was unable to confirm either via hard data or anecdotally that Sequoia was actually responsible for the smelter destruction as they claimed. The investigation itself was marked as open, but not ongoing. With the caseload everyone was carrying these days anything that was not an immediate threat often got shelved until some fictional day in the future when there would be more time to investigate thoroughly. Scrolling down to the bottom, Zechs checked for the identifying information on whose case it was. The credibility of the agent would determine if started with the information already documented or backed up to cover the same tracks. 

The T. Barton followed by a string of numbers came as no surprise. That explained why the signature yellow handprint had seemed familiar; it was one of the cases Trowa had handled while Zechs was on paternity leave. Leaning back in his chair, Zechs tapped his fingers on the armrests, thinking over the information he had. It was possible that Sequoia had changed leadership and direction or that another group or individual had borrowed it. It was also possible that the group had splintered and one of the members had chosen to take a more direct path than Sequoia was willing to allow. He was going to need more information on the current status of membership and goals before determining which direction to go with his investigation.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Quatre yawned, blinked rapidly, and shook his head, forcing himself to wake up more. Once Trowa had left to go meet with the senator early that morning he hadn't been able to go back to sleep. After tossing and turning for an hour he finally gave up and got out of bed, wandering into the kitchen to make a cup of tea in the hopes it would help him settle. That was one of the disadvantages of being in a relationship, once you got used to sleeping with someone it was hard to go back to sleeping alone. He never felt completely warm or relaxed without Trowa behind him, arm wrapped around his waist and snoring softly in his ear. 

Leaning against the pillar by the baggage claim at the shuttle port, Quatre was beginning to regret not only the caffeine free tea, but also choosing to take on a pile of paperwork while he waited for Trowa to come home. His original intent of going back to bed had been waylaid by Berkfield's disappearance and death. Though he wasn't distressed by the loss of the man himself, any life cut short by violence left a lingering sadness in his soul. If he'd learned anything from his days as a Gundam pilot it was that life was too precious to squander it. 

Checking his watch again, Quatre straightened, arching his back and stretching. The shuttle was on the ground and even factoring in a wait in customs Cathy should be making an appearance at any moment. His head turned when he heard the sound of his name and he barely had time to open his arms before he was hit by a small redheaded bundle of energy. Laughing, he returned the embrace enthusiastically, picking Cathy up off the ground and swinging her around. 

Grinning and somewhat breathless, Cathy stepped back. "Trowa called me on the shuttle. He said he was on a case and couldn't get away. It must be a big one."

"Really big. And he is sharing primary duties with Duo so they have to do all the coordination." At her questioning look Quatre shook his head. "I'll explain later when we get back to the house. How was your flight?" 

"Good. Smooth as if you or Trowa were piloting. I'm starved though. The food on the flight was horrible as always. The Styrofoam packages would taste better." She made a face then punched Quatre on the arm when he laughed. "My bags should be here now. We got held up in customs because the guy in front of me insisted on being uncooperative." 

"Oh?" Quatre lifted the bags that Cathy pointed out off the baggage carousel, slipping his arm through the shoulder strap of one and grabbing the handle of the oversized suitcase on wheels. 

"He kept insisting that he was exempt from having to go through customs and refused to hand over his carry on bag. They finally took him off somewhere." Without missing a beat she shifted gears, as she threaded an arm through Quatre's. "So, Trowa tells me there was a new Italian restaurant near here that was really good." 

"Lavicios?" He continued at Cathy's nod. "Everything is organic and made from scratch. The minestrone soup is a meal by itself and the Grilled Shrimp Caprese is some of the best I have ever had." He sighed happily, eliciting a look of amusement from Cathy.

"That sounds great. One of the best things about coming to Earth is fresh seafood. No matter how they replicate conditions it just doesn't taste the same on the colonies." 

"And here I thought you came to see me." Quatre mock pouted, his eyes twinkling in contrast. "I'm hurt." 

Cathy waved a hand in his direction, her gesture dismissive and teasing. "Someone has to make sure you aren't spoiling my baby brother too much." 

"You know he hates when you call him that." Quatre moved to the curb, setting down the luggage as a sleek black car driven by Rashid slid in next to him, the trunk popping open from an unseen command by the driver. 

"I know." Cathy's smirk was an exact copy of Trowa's, once again confirming for Quatre that the two were definitely siblings in the ways that mattered. "Why do you think I do it?" 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lady Une entered the conference room at a brisk walk, eyes scanning to make sure all the usual suspects were already in attendance. She moved to the front of the room, setting the folders on the conference table with a slap. "As you are all aware Senator Berkfield has murdered early this morning. The security officers who were supposed to be on duty have not been found. At this time they are being considered possible victims, but that could change depending on what information we are able to gather on them." She paused briefly to open one of the folders. "Agents Maxwell and Barton will be primaries on this case as they are familiar with the late senator's security and the death threats he was receiving. Agents Yuy and Marquis will be partnered temporally as a result and will be providing backup as will Agents Noin and Schbeiker." She nodded, turning the briefing over to Duo before sitting down at the head of the table. 

Duo stood, a sheaf of papers in his hands. "Our initial suspect list is being limited to those who've made threats against the Senator either verbally or in writing. Once that has been covered we can follow up on his personal life and see where that takes us. I figure if we split the list three ways that will give each team fifteen names to cover." 

"Forty five identifiable individuals?" Zechs leaned back in his chair looking deceptively relaxed. "I would have thought the number would be higher. The man had a talent for making enemies." 

Duo snorted. "No shit. After pulling guard duty Tro and I both wanted to kill him." 

"Should we add yours and Agent Barton's name to list of suspects, /Agent/ Maxwell?" Une's tone was dry though the corner of her lips twitched in amusement. 

"I was home sleeping." Duo raised his hands in mock surrender.

"Is there anyone who can collaborate your story?" 

Heero cleared his throat drawing the attention of everyone at the table. "Agent Maxwell returned home at twenty one hundred hours and went to bed approximately fifty five minutes later. Judging from his level of breathing, body warmth and disorientation he was in REM sleep and had been so for some time when we received the call that the senator wanted to speak with Agents Maxwell and Barton. He left the house thirty-six minutes later. According to the coroner's report the time of death is indicated as having occurred between two and three hundred hours. He would not have had sufficient time to drive to where the body was found, stop for coffee, pick up Agent Barton and arrive at the hotel at the time stated on his report and collaborated by Agent Barton, Agent Winner, Miss Angel Johnston, the senator's personal assistant and Derek Winters, the desk clerk on duty. 

"I don't know, I've seen Duo drive." Hilde didn't even attempt to hide her smirk. 

Commander Une nodded, somewhat bemused, at Heero. "So we can eliminate Maxwell as a possible suspect?"

Heero considered for a moment. "He is not the actual trigger man. However, that does not eliminate the possibility that he masterminded the murder and arranged it so he would have an alibi." 

Une no longer bothered to hide her amusement. "I'll keep that in mind, Agent Yuy. Thank you. Agent Barton?" 

"Would you like to have Quatre write and submit a formal statement for you? I'm sure he'd be happy to do that if you asked him. No show of force required." 

"No handcuffs?" Noin looked genuinely disappointed, returning Zechs' raised eyebrow with a smile that radiated pure innocence.

"Tell him to have it on my desk before I leave for the day. Now, if we can get back to the matter at hand. Agent Marquise, you have the floor." 

Zechs inclined his head. "The note left at the scene is being analyzed currently. There were no prints or DNA samples that could be pulled from it so presumably the murderer wore gloves. The same is true of the handprint on the wall. The lab had determined it was an inexpensive type of house paint that is sold in multiple chain stores. They are currently narrowing it down to a specific batch number. Because it is sold in large amounts I doubt the information will be of any use without a sample to compare it to." 

"Anything about the print as a signature?" Hilde tapped her pen against the pad of paper in front of her. "It seems like a statement or maybe part of a ritual." 

"The only known usage previously was in conjunction with a group called Sequoia that claimed responsibility for the destruction of five smelters in October of last year." 

Trowa frowned. "I did that investigation. There was nothing to concretely tie them together. The statement to the press was an anonymous note mailed to a local news anchor in each location that a smelter was destroyed. There was no manifesto or agenda included, just a brief message saying 'stop polluting the Earth'."

"Follow up with your contacts, Barton. Let's see if anything has changed within the organization. Meanwhile your partner can start on your list of suspects." Lady Une fixed Duo with a look. "That is unless he would like to nominate more people to add to it." 

"He's finished." Heero and Trowa spoke at the same time, their voices blending together and drowning out whatever comment Duo had opened his mouth to make. 

"I expect regular reports throughout the day on your progress. Move cautiously and keep in mind the individuals you are dealing with at all times. Senator Berkfield might not have been well liked but he did have some powerful friends in and out of the government. As a result you will be in the public eye." Gathering her papers in front of her, Lady Une stood. "Good luck and be safe. Dismissed." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ah, Mr. Barlow, good to see you again." 

Gesturing with his fork to indicate the chair across from him, Trowa finished chewing and washed it down with a sip of green tea. "Rogers, just the man I was looking for. Have a seat." 

Rogers, a tall thin man, folded himself into the chair and waved over a waitress, ordering the same wild rice and Portobello mushroom dish Trowa was eating. "So, what brings you back this way? Last I heard you'd moved on from Sequoia and into the big leagues out East somewhere." 

Trowa smiled and shrugged, saying nothing and everything in a gesture. "I just happened to be in the neighborhood. Wanted to check out if the rumors about Senator Berkfield were true."

"The rumors of his death are not greatly exaggerated." Rogers paused to let the waitress place his plate in front of him then smirked at Trowa as he forked food into his mouth.

"Mark Twain you aren't and we're not in San Francisco." Trowa snorted and took another drink of his tea. "I was wondering about a specific bit of unreleased information I ran across." 

"Oh? Something juicy I presume?" 

Leaning in to further the sense of being told something in confidence, Trowa lowered his voice. "My contact in Preventers claims they have evidence that Sequoia was involved in the Senator's death." 

Rogers snorted, choked and began to laugh. "You're kidding me, right? Just because they tweaked his ass when the smelters went down doesn't mean they have the balls to take him out. I'm still not convinced they even did the smelters." 

"Oh?" Trowa quirked an eyebrow giving the suggestion of curiosity without appearing too eager. "When we talked before you never mentioned that." 

Rogers was silent for a few minutes, chewing thoughtfully as if looking for the right words in his food. "OMI belongs to a branch of Berkfield's family through his mother. They keep it pretty well hushed up because he already gets called on being in bed with the mining industry." 

Trowa nodded and pushed his plate back. "He was. He had ties to at least half a dozen companies at least." 

"Right, but those aren't /his/. He claims to represent them as citizens of L3. OMI financed a big chunk of his election fund and puts money directly into his pocket. They also have the worst environmental record in the colonies. The thing is the smelters that went down were due for a complete refit and the cut off date was getting close. In six months they would have been shut down and OMI fined for every day they were out of compliance. They would have been bankrupt in the space of a year. But while they are getting bids the smelters just happen to go boom and have to be rebuilt from the bottom up, meeting the new codes of course." 

"Of course." Trowa leaned back in his chair, lips pursed as he considered this new information. He'd put Zechs on verifying it as soon as he got back to the office, but it was possible that Rogers was onto something. On the other hand he could be drawing conclusions where none existed. Paranoia went with the territory when you lived on the edge of society. Trowa knew that one well, having lived it most of his life. "You think it was an insurance scam that was blamed on Sequoia?" 

"It wouldn't be the first time." 

"True." Trowa sipped his tea considering how this new information related to the Senator's death if at all. "The timing does seem convenient." 

"Berkfield is the kind of sleaze to do it too. His whole family is. He has a cousin or something who is serving time." 

"My faith in the justice system has been renewed." 

Rogers snorted, gesturing to the waitress for his bill. "I wouldn't go that far. It was probably a glitch. He pulled a judge who was paid more to put the guy in jail or maybe got unlucky and hit on the one that couldn't be bribed."

"One is better than none." Trowa deftly snatched the bill from Rogers' fingers. "Lunch is on me since you saved me from wasting my time on a trip to the other side of town. I was considering recruiting Sequoia and bringing them onboard, but I've changed my mind." 

"I would have ordered dessert if I knew you were paying." 

Trowa laughed then stood to make his way to the cashier. "I'll give you a rain check for the next time I'm in the area." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Okay, let me get this straight." Duo leaned back in his chair, tipping it up on two legs. "Berkfield is related the owners of OMI and Sequoia took out their smelters just in time to have the insurance pay for a refit." 

Trowa nodded. "Right. Zechs verified the records and it's all in there. What my source didn't tell me or didn't know is that OMI changed insurance companies and added a protection against terrorism clause about six months before this happened." 

Duo pursed his lips, considering the implications. "That's lucky for them isn't it?" 

"Extremely." Trowa drawled out the word putting a twist on the end. 

"Then Sequoia who has done nothing since shows up as part of the crime scene when Berkfield gets offed." Duo paused, tapping his pen on the corner of the table. "It could be that they have a grudge or…"

"Or it’s a set up and has been all along. The two incidents occurred in separate jurisdictions and were officially investigated by different groups so the chances that they would be tied together are minimal. I did the investigation and wasn't aware that Berkfield was connected to OMI. He's done a good job of burying that information." 

"Any idea who the relative in jail is or why he's there?" 

"No. I've got Hilde doing some digging to see if we can trace the rest of his family. So far she's not having a lot of luck and unfortunately records were lost or destroyed during the wars." 

"Damn! Well if anyone can find it, it'll be Hilde. She's great at getting information out of people." Duo let the chair hit the floor with a bang. "I don't know about you, but I smell a rat. Not the cute white kind that people keep as pets, but one that lives in the sewers and you could ride if you had a saddle for it." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Zechs strode down the hallway, massaging his temple. The headache that had been lurking in the background had decided to take center stage with a vengeance. Stopping outside the conference room that had been turned into a command center for the investigation into Senator Berkfield's death he knocked lightly then let himself in without waiting for an answer. Trowa was sitting at the main table, papers in neat stacks around him. On the wall behind him enlarged pictures of the crime scene were taped, covering most of the available space. Off to the side was a white board that was set up on an easel. The details of the case scrawled across it in Duo's uneven hand. 

"The results of the handwriting analysis are back." Zechs tossed the report on the table beside the legal pad Trowa was writing on. 

Trowa eyed the report and leaned back in his chair. "Find anything worthwhile?" 

"Actually, yes." Pulling out a chair, Zechs turned it around and straddled it, resting his arms on the back. "Rogers scanned the note and ran it through the database for possible matches." 

"And?" Trowa's raised eyebrow asked the question as much as his words. 

"He had one hit with a seventy five to eighty percent match on all of the markers the program uses for comparison." 

"That sounds promising. Do we have a name or was it other of the anonymous notes?" 

"We have a name. Jareth Ellis." 

"He's dead." Trowa's tone was flat and carefully neutral. "There must be a mistake." 

"Rogers thought the same thing. He said he ran it four different times and got the same result. He put six different samples of Ellis' writing into the database because of the way his writing changed over time. It hit on one of the mid range samples. He's checking the note against the paper from the journal that the writing sample was collected from." 

"I want to know as soon as he has any results." 

"I assumed as much. He is aware he should report anything he finds directly to you in addition to myself." 

"Thank you." Trowa pulled the report towards him flipping through it quickly. "Did Ellis have ties to Sequoia or any other environmental groups?" 

"Not that we were able to uncover. However that does not eliminate the possibility that his mentor did. We were never able to determine whose tune he was dancing to." 

Trowa's expression darkened and the corner of the report crumpled in his hand. Standing abruptly he pulled his cell phone from his pocket. "I need to make a call." Without waiting for a response he turned his back to Zechs, crossing the room for some semblance of privacy. The conversation was short and when Trowa ended it he looked less happy than he had been previously. His second call was slightly longer though it did not lighten the scowl any. When he returned to the table his features were schooled in an expression of calm neutrality. "Was there anything else?" 

Zechs shook his head and turned to go, knowing a politely coached dismissal when he heard it. "I'll be in touch when I have any additional information."

Already seated again, and by all appearances deeply engrossed in what he had been working on, Trowa nodded sharply, not bothering to look up. Out in the hallway Zechs counted to ten waiting for the muted sound of glass shattering that he knew would follow his departure. Grabbing the first agent he saw he informed the intimidated young man that a cleaning crew would be needed in the conference room along with a carafe of black coffee and some /disposable/ cups.


	3. Chapter 3

'Berkfield' Duo wrote on the top of the whiteboard and underlined the name several times. Beneath it he listed 'OMI', 'Sequoia', 'Insurance Fraud', 'Death threats', and 'Jareth Ellis'. He tapped each item with the capped end of the marker. "We know Berkfield was connected to OMI." He drew a line between the two then another from OMI to Sequoia. "OMI was attacked by Sequoia and their signature was found at the murder site. We also know that after the OMI smelters Sequoia had fallen off the face of the Earth until Berkfield was murdered." 

Halfway down the board he wrote 'Sequoia – Cover for insurance fraud, policy paid for refit. Smelters to be shut in six months.' Looking around the room Duo noted that Zechs, Trowa and Heero were nodding, acknowledging they were on the same page thus far. "The big questions right now are, were the death threats at the scene legit, or something that was added to make it look good? Who benefits from Berkfield's death and would be willing to kill him to gain that benefit? How does this guy," he circled Jareth's name several times for emphasis, "fit into the whole thing? Is he connected to OMI, Berkfield or Sequoia? Someone had a copy of his writing and we need to find who it was and why." 

Heero began tapping keys on the laptop he had sitting next to him. After a moment there was a beep and he shook his head. Frowning, he typed again only to be equally displeased with the results. "I'm not finding any immediate connection, but I can do some more research and see if there is something we've missed." 

He resumed his typing as Duo continued, shooting Trowa an apologetic look. "I think we need to back over the information we have on Ellis, see if there is anything we missed. We've got a few different angles to look at now that we didn't have before." 

There was another beep and Heero looked up from the screen, a look of triumph on his face. "I opened up the search to include additional parameters including OMI. Anderson Mining, the contract that Quatre was reviewing the day he was shot, makes tools for mining Gundanium. They're made of the same metal so they also purchase raw ore and their main supplier is OMI. When Anderson first opened for business they had a contract with WEI which lasted for two years, but it was not renewed and since that time Anderson has used OMI."

"How long ago was that?" 

"Twenty years, three months and sixteen days." 

"Tro," Duo turned slightly, taking in his friend's tight lips and clenched fists. Figuring that after the discussion of the attempt on Quatre's life Trowa would need to reassure himself his lover was alive and well, Duo mentally changed the direction he was about to give. "Head over to WEI and talk to Q. Find out what happened with the contract and why it wasn't renewed. He'll probably have to do some digging so take however much time you need." Moving back in front of the white board he added Anderson Mining to the list and drew a line to Jareth Ellis. He then drew a dotted line from up to 'Berkfield'. "This is our missing link. Hilde is doing research on Berkfield's missing jailbird relative. If we get really lucky it will tie these two things together." 

Zechs cleared his throat. "What about Sequoia? How do you want to proceed with that?"

"Follow the money now that we know what we are looking for." Duo made a dollar sign on the white board. "Tro, did you ever find out who was paying their bills?" 

Trowa shook his head. "I was tracking it when I got pulled off of to go undercover on the Caracas investigation." 

Duo turned back to Zechs "Why don't you see what you can find out? Get Tro's notes and follow it up. The big money guys always open up a hell of a lot more to you than the rest of us." 

Zechs flipped his hair back over his shoulder and raised an eyebrow, amusement tweaking the corners of his mouth. "I'll see what I can find." 

"Heero, I need you to review what we found on Jareth Ellis and see if there is anything we missed that might tie him to Berkfield, OMI or Sequoia." Heero nodded, head already bent over his laptop, fingers flying as he typed. "I think that's all for now. I’d like to meet again tomorrow morning at about seven hundred hours. Tro, you supply the coffee and I'll bring the bagels." He looked around the room making sure each person had heard and acknowledged the time and assignment before recapping the marker and tossing it into the tray of the whiteboard. "Okay, let’s get to it." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Agent Barton?" Trowa nodded, thinking that the face of the older man on his vid screen looked vaguely familiar though he was at a loss to place it. "I spoke with Mr. Winner a few moments ago and he requested that I call you. He said it was about the Anderson Mining contract." The man smiled. "It was a few years ago and my memory is not as good as it once was, but I'd like to help if I can." 

Recognition flared in Trowa's mind as the pieces slotted into place. He and Quatre had attended Abraham McKenzie's retirement party and toasted the man's many years of service and loyalty to WEI. "Thank you for calling, Mr. McKenzie. Anything you can tell us would be appreciated." 

"Call me, Abe. What exactly did you want to know? I spoke with one of you folks back when that young man shot Mr. Winner, but he seemed to be more interested in whether Anderson Mining was a real company than the contract itself." 

Trowa nodded, viciously suppressing the desire to punch something. "I've read the notes, but they were sketchy and there are a few things I'd like to expand on." 

McKenzie smiled, relaxing back into his chair. "Ask away." 

"You were the account manager for Anderson Mining is that correct?" 

"Yes." 

"Who did you deal with when negotiating and managing the contract?"

"Mr. Anderson himself. Back then it was a small business just starting up so he did most of the administration work himself." 

"How did you come to contract with them? Did they contact WEI or did you contact him?" 

"Mr. Anderson contacted WEI about the possibility of doing business and I was the one who happened to be available. He wanted to buy raw Gundanium from us and had been licensed to do so to build mining tools. We set up a basic two year contract with the option to renegotiate when it expired." 

"But you chose not to, correct? The contract was allowed to lapse and was not renewed?"

"Yes." 

"Whose decision was that?" 

"Ours. Mr. Anderson was not pleased by it in the least. The Gundanium WEI mines is the purest available so the amount of usable metal after smelting is between ten and twenty percent higher." There was no mistaking the pride in McKenzie's voice. Age and retirement hadn't taken the edge off him in the least. 

"What was the reason that the contract wasn't renewed?" 

McKenzie shifted and stroked his chin. "Well, that would depend on who you were to ask." 

Trowa raised an eyebrow, not masking his curiosity. "I'm asking /you/."

"Officially it was because Anderson voided the contract due to repeated late payments. However, Mr. Winner was not an unreasonable man and would often work with new businesses to support growth. In cases like this the decision to renew or not was the responsibility of the person overseeing the contract." 

Trowa nodded. "And unofficially?" 

"At the time the contract was up for renewal there were a lot of rumors floating around that Anderson was using his company as a way to cover arms dealing and that not all of the Gundanium he was buying was being made into tools. I don't know the source of the rumors, but the directive not to renew came down from Mr. Winner himself." 

"Was it ever proven?" 

"No, not that I'm aware of. Mr. Anderson died shortly after that and his oldest son took over the business. Not too long after that the rumors stopped. Presumably he turned the operation into one that was law abiding." McKenzie paused, making a face that looked as if he had bitten into something that was rotten. "That or he was better at hiding the illegal activities he was engaging in." 

"What would be your guess between the two?" 

"The latter. The man had three boys and all of them were made from the same mold as the father. The middle is son is in jail now. He tried to kill one of your folks if I remember the news reports correctly. I knew that boy would come to no good." 

"Oh?" Trowa was already typing in the name Anderson to do a search of the database. 

Seeing the movement McKenzie shook his head. "You won't find him under Anderson, young man. After his father died he took his mother's name. Separating himself from the scandal I suspect. Or maybe Anderson was just too plain as he liked to put on airs." 

Trowa canceled the search and tapped the keys impatiently. "Do you know the name he was using?" 

"Reynolds? Renforth? I'm sorry, as I said earlier my memory isn't what it used to be." 

A chill crawled up Trowa's spine and lodged in his throat. "Rentworth? Alistair Rentworth?" 

"That's it." McKenzie rewarded Trowa with a proud smile. "I see you've already had the misfortune of crossing paths with the man." 

Trowa's calm exterior hid the anger that flared below the surface. Rentworth was not only responsible for the death of the parents of Sally's adopted son Stephen, but he had also given the order for Hilde to be brutally beaten and left for dead. "What about the third son? Do you know where he is now?" 

"I'm sorry, no. The last I heard he had joined up with the Alliance and was going to be one of Treize Khrushranda's specials." 

Trowa noted this information on the pad he kept next to the phone and added a reminder to touch base with Zechs. "Do you know what name he was using? Anderson or Rentworth?"

"Can't say that I do. His first name was Geoffrey if that helps." 

Adding the name to his notes, Trowa nodded. "It might. Thank you for calling, Abe. It's been very helpful. I might contact you again if that is okay with you." 

"Certainly, anything I can do to help I will. You take care of yourself and young Mr. Winner now. Please send him my regards. I'll look forward to speaking with you again." 

Bowing his head slightly, Trowa smiled. "I'll be seeing him in a few minutes for lunch and I'll be sure to pass them on." With a final thank you he pressed the button to end the call. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey Zechs." Duo slid into the open seat next to his fellow Preventer and put a folded piece of paper next to the man's tray. "Tro asked me to give you this. He went to lunch with Cathy and Q, but should be back in a couple of hours." 

Zechs nodded and picked up the paper, unfolding it to reveal the picture of an intense, dark haired young man. Using his other hand he continued to fork the cafeteria special of the day into his mouth as he studied it. At the top of the page, written in Trowa's distinct handwriting was 'Geoffrey Anderson, eighteen years old, AC193.' 

"Tro said it was taken right before he supposedly ran away from home to join the Alliance so hopefully it will trigger something. Apparently he wanted to be one of Treize's guys." 

"I've met this man though he was going by a different name at the time." He frowned, the lines on his forehead doing nothing to distract from the casual grace that emanated from him. "Zachary Benjamin." Pulling a pen from his pocket he set down the picture and drew a line through Geoffrey Anderson and replaced it with the name he had just announced. 

"So he was a special?" Duo was already lining up the databases in his head he needed to search through for information." 

"No." The vehemence in Zechs' voice drew a raised eyebrow and a look that spoke the question. 

"Treize was considering recruiting him at one point. He had the age and the skills to be one but not the right attitude." 

"Oh?" 

"The specials were not just an elite force. It was a group with a long term plan to rid the world of war under Treize's leadership. We fought for a reason and with a goal in mind. There was no joy in the pain or death and all the fallen were honored and remembered for the sacrifice they paid." He paused, his eyes focused somewhere a little past Duo's shoulder. After a moment he blinked and the focused returned. "Benjamin liked war. The chaos, the pain and of course the killing without consequences. He was a man without a conscience who had no understanding of Treize's goals. I understand he became a sniper and quite possibly an assassin. He studied under Captain Ellis who was one of the best." 

"Ellis? Like Jareth Ellis?" 

"Possibly. Though it's not an uncommon name. I wasn't part of that area of the investigation so I would have to check Ellis' dossier." 

"I'll check with Wufei when I get back to my office and see if he knows since he did the bio workup on the guy. Anything else you can remember about him?" Duo tapped the picture. 

"Only that he said he was a great fan of Treize even though he apparently misunderstood everything that he stood for." 

Duo opened his mouth to answer when Hilde stormed over to the table, slammed a folder down before jerking the chair across from Duo out. She dropped into it, anger written in her tight lipped frown. "I found Berkfield's criminal relative." She immediately had both men's attention. "You are not going to believe this." Still fuming she reached over and snagged one of the fries from Zechs plate. "Figures though that all the rats would be from the same family line." 

"Do tell." Zechs favored her with a look that would have been read as disapproval by anyone not familiar enough with the man to see the hint of an affectionate smile. 

Hilde swallowed and licked the salt from her fingers. "Remember Alistair Rentworth?" 

Duo nodded sharply. The name was one he was not likely to ever forget. "Yeah." 

"He and Berkfield are second cousins through their moms." 

"Fuck!" Duo brought his fist down the table loud enough to be heard over the chatter. "That ties Berkfield into the whole mess and makes the connection between Anderson Mining and Jareth Ellis. I'm guessing this Benjamin guy was his mentor and set the whole thing up. Thanks, Hil. I owe you one. Make sure you tell Tro when he gets back. I need to go talk to Une." 

"Glad to help." She yelled after Duo's retreating back before swiping another one of Zechs' fries. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* 

"Quatre, just the man I was looking for." Quatre turned and smiled at the darkly attractive man walking towards him. "Your speech was inspired. I'm sure it earned us quite a few votes and hopefully the front page of tomorrow's newspaper." 

"Thank you. As long as the bill passes through the senate I'll be happy." Quatre squeezed Trowa's hand, a signal between them that he wouldn't let business take over. "You know Trowa." He waited for them to exchange nods before resting a hand lightly on Cathy's back. "This is his sister, Cathy Bloom. Cathy, Zack Benjamin." 

Zack bowed his head in acknowledgement and took Cathy's hand, his lips brushing gently across the back. "Charmed." Raising his head he smiled again. "I was on my way to toast our victory over a glass of wine at The Capital. Would you care to join me?" 

"Trowa is on lunch and I promised Cathy a trip to the art museum…" Quatre paused, the weight of Cathy's artfully applied to the toe of his shoe making its less than subtle point. "I guess we have time for one glass. Tro?" 

Shaking his head, Trowa glanced at his watch. "I'm on duty and I need to get back." He gave Quatre a quick kiss then hugged Cathy, whispering 'behave yourself' in her ear. "I'll call when I leave. It shouldn't be any later than seven." 

Quatre pulled him down for another kiss, this one longer, deeper and full of promise. When it broke they were both breathing heavier than before. "See that you aren't. We have plans tonight and I won't be pleased if you stand me up." 

"Get a room." Cathy rolled her eyes then took the arm that Zack offered her. "They're incorrigible I swear. Worse than teenagers." 

Zack laughed. "It's nice to see two people so much in love. Too often there is a lack of appreciation for what you have until it's gone." 

"I almost lost him once and I've never forgotten how it felt." Quatre's voice was low and his eyes never left Trowa as the other man walked briskly down the sidewalk. "Not for a moment." 

Zack smiled again, though his eyes narrowed. "That's good to know." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Stepping into the elevator, Hilde hit the button for the top floor before moving back to stand against the wall. Trowa wasn't in his office and his coffee mug was missing from his desk. The cafeteria had also been a no go, which meant he hadn't gone for a refill. When the elevator slid open she made her way down the hall and pushed open the door to the stairway. One flight of stairs up and there was another door that led out onto the roof. 

Looking through the window situated in the middle of the large metal security door, she spotted Trowa walking along the top of the narrow wall that surrounded the edge of the roof. Despite the wind that ruffled his hair and pulled the long coat he wore back into a tail Trowa never slowed or faltered. His body leaned inwards, compensating for the force applied against it. 

Hilde hesitated, hand on the bar that served as a doorknob. Trowa was going to want the information Duo had given her, but something in the intense look on his face made her loathe to interrupt his reverie. Finding that the writing on the note was a close match of the man who almost killed Quatre had been quite a shock. News like that traveled fast especially when it was someone as well liked as Quatre. Most people had given Trowa a wide berth the last few days, which only made Hilde feel that much worse for him. 

Either the person behind this knew what he was doing and was intentionally tweaking them or he was sloppy. From what Hilde had seen her money was on the first one and from Trowa's reaction he was thinking the same thing. It was always better to overestimate an enemy then underestimate them, especially with what was at stake in this case. 

Tapping the paper against the palm of her other hand, Hilde pursed her lips. The wind was starting to gust harder now and the first drops of rain were darkening the gray tiles of the roof. However, Trowa continued his pacing, seemingly unaware of the impending storm. She hesitated a moment longer before coming to a decision. Turning to go she, caught movement from the corner of her eye as Trowa raised his mug, appearing to drain it and then jumped down from the wall. Letting out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding she turned back, holding the door open for him. 

Trowa brushed past her, acknowledging her presence with a small smile and slight bow of his head. He made his way down the stairs, taking them two at a time, oblivious or unconcerned that she had to run to catch up with him. On a normal day she could depend on him to adjust his stride to accommodate her smaller one. However, something was biting at him today. The good mood he'd reportedly been in after lunch with Cathy and Quatre and burned off quickly. 

Breaking into a jog, Hilde caught up with Trowa. "I have some information you might want." She offered the paper, which he ignored. 

"I'm going home. I have plans and I promised Quatre I wouldn't be late. Give it to Duo, he can brief me later." 

"Duo said to give it to you." 

Stopping abruptly Trowa plucked the page from Hilde's hands. Scanning it quickly the scowl on his face deepened, eyes narrowing. "Fuck!" He took off running, already down the hall and out of sight before the picture drifted gently to rest on the carpet. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Duo slammed down the phone and swore. "That was Wufei. Relena's gone into labor. They're headed to the hospital. Like we don't have enough problems with Tro taking off. Now we've got the hospital to cover too." 

"Zechs and I can meet them and secure the area." Heero exchanged a look with Zechs who was already up and pulling on his jacket. "Call Sally and have her meet us at the car. We can go in one vehicle which will streamline the transportation process. Has the hospital been notified?" 

"Yeah. Wufei did that before he called us. Do you need any extra back up? Wufei's not going to be much help if there is a situation and you guys are both going to be distracted too." 

"I'm not new to the birthing process." Zech smiled a little. "Besides, we'll be outside the delivery room guarding the entrances and exits. Relena has already informed me that anyone, besides the medical personne,l who was not present at the conception will not present at the birth. I have no desire to contradict that." 

Duo snickered and shook his head. "Afraid of Relena?" 

"Prudence is the best counsel at this time." Zechs shrugged on his jacket, pulling his hair to the side from long practice. 

"In other words you think your little sister will kick your ass." Duo's grin kept growing until it threatened to split his face. 

"In a word, yes." Zechs followed Heero out the door, trailed by the sound of Duo's laughter.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The Capital was almost empty when Trowa hit the door, eyes scanning the moderately lit interior for a familiar blond head. A sense of dread filled his stomach when he saw the bartender gesture him over and pull what looked like a sealed envelope out from under the counter. "Mr. Winner just left. He wasn't feeling well so Mr. Benjamin was going to have his driver take him home. He said to give you this if you showed up." 

Trowa took the envelope, nodding to reassure the anxious man. Tearing it open he found inside a letter written on Quatre's personal stationary. 

/My Dearest Mr. Barton,

If you are reading this then you know who I am. I won't bore you, or myself, with long stories of revenge and familial loyalty, something you wouldn't understand given your history. Let's just skip to the point shall we? I'm quite sure the pressing question on your mind right now is what I plan to do with Quatre. You can rest easy for the moment; he's safe if extremely unhappy. I have no intention of killing him. In fact, I want nothing more than for him to live a long, healthy life. 

The drugs he's ingested will wear off in a few hours and he'll feel good as new after a night's sleep. Of course by then he will have already watched you die, slowly and painfully, while he lies there, frozen and unable to move. Sadly when he recovers he'll be met with the news of the tragic deaths of his friends. It's a pity, but this is war and in war there will always be causalities. 

Fortunately I'm a generous man and I will make him one or two small concessions. After all a man needs a reason to go on and the dead have no meaning if there is no one who remains to remember them. I think you'll agree that the ones we hold dear become more precious when we know what evils the world can inflict.

The question that remains now, Mr. Barton, is if you will take the challenge and come riding to the rescue. I suspect the answer is yes. From what I understand you and Quatre are quite devoted to each other. Something that I find works to my benefit. If not, I'm a flexible man, willing to improvise as needed. Should you decide to join us we can be found at my other office. 

Sincerely,

Geoffrey Anderson  
President pro tem - Sequoia/

Crumpling the paper in his fist, Trowa pinned the now frightened bartender with a look. "Call Preventers, extension 221 and talk to Duo Maxwell. Tell him code red at the Sequoia office. Got that?" 

The man swallowed, knuckles white from their grip on the bar. "Y…yes, sir.

"Don't forget." The words hung in the air even though Trowa already gone. 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"He didn't say anything else that you can remember? Anything at all?" 

The frightened bartender shook his head, his eyes darting from Duo to Noin to Hilde and then back to Duo again. "I…I don't think so. He said to call you at Preventers and code red." 

Noin sighed and rubbed her face. They had been at it for an hour now and were getting nowhere quick. The searches of Zach Benjamin's house and office had come up empty. Time was running out and as the minutes ticked away Duo became more agitated. It was unlike Trowa to take off without give a location, especially considering he had sent a code red message. Blowing out a breath, Duo scrubbed a hand over his face. "Okay lets go over this one more time." 

"Give it a rest, Duo." Lu put a restraining hand on his arm. "We're all worried here, but this isn't working. Maybe you could go make some coffee." 

Duo glared at her, opened then shut his mouth with a snap before turning on his heel. When he was safely behind the counter, Lu sat down next to the frightened young man and smiled at him. "I'm Lu and this is Hilde." She gestured to her partner who was sitting across from them. "You're Greg, right?" 

He nodded. "Greg Buchanan." 

"Okay Greg, I want you to do something for me." When he nodded she smiled again. "Relax and close your eyes. I'm not going to hurt you. You have my word." 

"Is…is this that…um that good cop bad cop thing they show on the vid?" He swallowed, fingers rubbing on the legs of his pants. 

Lu laughed softly and shook her head. "No. We only do that with suspects. You're a witness." She leaned in closer, resting a hand on his arm. "Besides, Duo always makes me be the bad cop. He thinks it's more fun that way." She rolled her eyes, shooting a look at Hilde who laughed and nodded. 

"Okay." The smile this time was more genuine. Obediently he closed his eyes, relaxing back against the cushions of the booth he was seated in. 

"Good boy." Lu patted his hand gently, ignoring the amused look from Hilde. "Now, picture Agent Barton in your head for me. You were talking and he told you to call Duo, right?" 

Greg nodded. "Right. He said call Preventers extension 221 and talk to Duo Maxwell. Tell him there is a code red." 

Lu frowned but kept her voice soft and reassuring. "Which you did and we appreciate that. Think back to the conversation. Knowing Trowa he was very abrupt just Duo was just now. Did he scare you?" 

Nodding again this time more vigorously than before, Greg's fingers plucked at the material of his slacks. "He was really angry that Mr. Winner and Mr. Benjamin had already left. After he read the note Mr. Benjamin left for him he looked like he was going to punch someone." 

"He can be intimidating when he thinks someone is trying to hurt Mr. Winner. I want you to do one more thing for me, Greg. Think really hard and try to remember if he said anything about Anderson Mining, OMI or Sequoia…" 

"That one." Greg's eyes flew open and he sat bolt upright. "He said the code red was at the Sequoia offices. I'm sorry. I must have forgot." He bit his lip, eyes watering up like he was about to cry. 

"You remembered now, that's what counts. We'll be back later to get the rest of your statement from you." Lu gave Greg's hand one last pat then bolted out of the booth to collect Duo. 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ah, Mr. Barton. I'm pleased you didn't disappoint me." Zach Benjamin waved Trowa into the office and gestured for him to close the door behind him. "I've sent everyone else away for the day so we won't be interrupted. Please, make yourself at home, I've a few more things to wrap up before we can conclude our business." In his right hand was a gun, held loosely in the grip of a man who knew how to use it. 

Trowa moved slowly, keeping his face towards Zach as he crossed the room, stopping first to check on Cathy who was curled up in a ball on the leather couch that ran the length of the room. Her breathing was shallow and labored, but she was still alive. Not letting the relief show on his face, Trowa continued to work his way to where Quatre was seated in a high backed executive's chair. He was posed with his hands resting in his lap and his legs stretched out in front of him. 

"He's still alive. As I said in my letter, Mr. Barton, I intend no harm to come to him. Now, before you get any ideas please drop your weapons. And I do mean all of them, the boot gun and the throwing knives too. You don't need to kneel down to do it. Just let them fall." When Trowa had complied, he nodded, pleased with himself. "I'm a busy man so lets get right to the point of this little exercise, shall we?" He smiled slightly and fired three rounds into Trowa's stomach and abdomen. 

Trowa sank to his knees, blood seeping out from between his fingers as he used his hands to try to staunch the flow. He fell forward, curling into a ball at Quatre's feet. He projected love trying to override the fear he could feel coming from his lover. "I love you, Quat." 

"Bravo, Mr. Barton. I could not have scripted that better myself." Zach moved out from behind the desk, briefcase in hand. "Your beloved can see and hear; he just can't move to do anything about it. As much as I would like to stay and enjoy this it could take hours for you to die and frankly I just don't have the time. My flight for Milan leaves in just under six hours and I have a list of people who have an appointment with death before I go." Waving his fingers cheerily, Zach stopped to plant a soft kiss on Cathy's forehead before exiting the office, whistling 'happy days are here again' as he went. 

 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The warehouse appeared deserted, dilapidated and falling down as were many of the others on the street. The whole area had fallen into disrepair, no longer needed to house munitions and not yet reclaimed for other uses. On Duo's direction the three agents split up, circling the building looking for an unlocked door. Finding none, Duo took off his shirt and wrapped his hand before punching out a window. Once the glass was cleared off he and Noin boosted Hilde up and through the now empty frame into the building. It was several tense moments before she unlocked and opened the nearest door, letting them in. Finger to his lips Duo signaling that they were to break the building into three parts. They split off, Duo going right, Lu left and Hilde straight through to the rear. 

The back wall was unbroken except for a worn looking door that read office in faded black letters. Standing to the side Hilde turned the knob and pushed, sending the door flying inward on hinges that protested with a metallic squeal of pain. The room contained a few pieces of broken office furniture that crouched like feral animals on a matted industrial gray carpet. Behind the desk was another door. This one had a mass produced metal sign reading restroom stuck to it. Hilde made her way over to the door, noting that where the metal of the hinges showed through the layer of dust and dirt, they appeared shiny, almost new. She considered for a minute then tapped her radio. "Duo, Lu, I've got something that looks suspicious here." 

"Where are you?" Duo's response was immediate.

"In the back office." 

"Roger. Secure the area and wait for back up. Lu and I will be right there." 

"Roger. Over." Hilde did another visual scan of the room then carefully edged her way around the desk. Keeping her eyes on the door she opened each of the desk drawers in turn, finding nothing more threatening then some abandoned office supplies. 

Duo arrived first with Lu right on his heels. Directing Hilde to one side and Lu to the other Duo attempted to open the door. When the knob refused to turn in his hand he swore. Stepping back he shifted his stance and kicked out, his foot making contact with the wood and causing it to shatter around the lock. He moved into the room, quickly taking in the scene. "Fuck! Lu call emergency services. We need them here now! Office down!" He pulled off his shirt handing it to Hilde to use as a pressure bandage while he checked first Quatre then Cathy for vital signs.

"Are they..?" Hilde's voice broke, unable to finish her thought. 

Duo shook his head to indicate that they had not been killed. "Tro?"

"Barely hanging on." Her lip trembled and she rubbed her face on the sleeve of her shirt.

The sound of sirens filled the air, pitch rising, as they got closer. Dropping his guard completely for a moment Duo took Trowa's hand in his. "Hang in there buddy, help's on its way." 

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Trowa shifted, flinching as he felt the stitches pull. He was learning quickly that every moment required the use of his abdominal muscles. He relaxed back against the pillow smiling up at Quatre as he settled himself on the very edge of the bed. Warm fingers brushed the hair from his eyes and stroked down his cheek and Trowa turned his head slightly to kiss them. 

"How are you feeling, love?"

"Better. Ready to go home." 

"Sally said tomorrow or the next day." 

Trowa sighed, threading his fingers through Quatre's and squeezing. "How's Relena?" 

"Fine." Quatre smiled. "Complaining that she wants to go home and fighting with Wufei about not being made of glass. The usual." 

"Paix?" 

"Relena says he's demanding like his father and Wufei claims he's just stubborn like his mother. Overall he seems to be doing well. Stephen is completely taken with him and has asked Sally if he can have one." 

Trowa laughed, picturing the look on Sally's face then grimaced at the resulting pain. "What did she tell him?" 

"That they would discuss it later at home." 

Wrapping a hand around the back of Quatre's neck, Trowa pulled his lover down for a kiss. Quatre leaned in eagerly then broke it to rest his head against Trowa's. "You scared the hell out of me. I thought for sure you were going to die. It was like zero all over again, knowing I was responsible and not being able to do anything to save you." 

"It wasn't your fault. You were a child when Anderson's father died." He paused, the tone of voice softening and taking on a warmer color. "I'm here now, Quat. That's all that matters." 

"Promise me you won't ever do anything that stupid again." 

"No." Trowa shook his head, stubborn look in his eye. "I would gladly die to keep you safe." When Quatre opened his mouth to protest Trowa put his fingers over Quatre's lips, silencing him. "You would do the same thing. Don't ask me to do something you wouldn't do if I asked it of you." 

"I love you, Trowa." 

"I know. I love you too, Quat." 

Silence filled the room for the space of a long moment and Quatre reluctantly pulled away. "The inquest into Geoffrey Anderson's death starts next week. Will you be able to sit in court? Lady Une said they can record your testimony or do it via vid phone if necessary." 

"I'll be there if they need me. Though I think Heero and Zechs' testimony should be enough. They were the ones who witnessed Wufei shooting him when he tried to steal Paix from the nursery." 

Quatre nodded. "That was my understanding too. Either way I can't say I feel bad that he's gone." He sighed, shaking his head. "So much talent and intelligence wasted." 

Trowa nodded. "I'll sleep better knowing he's not out there anymore." Trowa reached out and cradled Quatre's face, brushing along his cheekbone with a thumb. "I have you and Cathy safe and whole. As far as I'm concerned that is all that matters." Pulling him down again they shared another kiss, reveling in the feeling of being alive and safe in each other's arms.


End file.
